Little Wonders
by Astalavisbay
Summary: Horton Hears a Who: Set in between the Movie. Explains the relationship with Horton and JoJo more clearly in my opinion anyway. Read. Review.


His dad was on the roof again, this time JoJo was curious. His dad was normally, well, eccentric but this was too much.

JoJo just shook his head and sighed, he made his way to the observatory, his observatory if you could call it that, and brought along some stuff including an old gramophone head he had found that day.

He walked into the observatory and started fixing the head to a set of pipes he had set up. The gramophone head was perfect because it would refine the sounds, capture it and he could control the volume that was emitted, or so he hoped anyway.

He almost fell from the ladder he was using when he heard a strange voice coming out of the gramophone head, what's more he heard his father too.

"Horton to mayor, Horton to mayor. Do you copy?" it said.

"Hey Horton, how's it going up there?" the mayor answered with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, pretty good actually. How's your wife and kids? Do you have to put them into bed again? The kids I mean." the voice asked.

"Done and done." Ned answered, he sounded sad though.

The misery was reflected in Ned's voice. "Hey little buddy, Why so gloomy?" Horton asked with concern.

Ned sighed, "Ah, it's nothing. I'm just trying to postpone the festival but the council won't let me. Called me a boob again that lousy good for nothing…"

"Boob?" Horton asked and both of them sniggered.

They chatted a bit; the words 'Nool' and 'Morton' came up often.

Ned yawned "It's high time I went off to bed. Goodnight Horton."

"Goodnight mayor." Horton said. Ned went down the roof and into his daughters' bedroom where he was greeted by cries for 'a glass of water'.

JoJo let out a breath he didn't know he was keeping. He clambered down the ladder when he suddenly lost his footing and crashed to the floor. He wasn't seriously injured, just dazed. But the sound was enough to wake Horton up.

"Mayor? Hey, bedtime was over a long time ago, what're you doing still up?" a groggy voice called out from the gramophone head.

A shuffling sound was heard "Horton! Please keep it down, my wife will wake up." Ned hissed. By then JoJo's heart was thumping so hard he was certain his dad and this 'Horton' could hear him.

"But I heard, I thought, never mind. Goodnight." Horton whispered back.

JoJo picked himself up but as fate would have had it, the floor creaked. "Okay whose there? Is that you Mr. Mayor?" Horton whispered.

"Horton!" Ned's sleepy voice hissed "are you talking in your sleep? Forget it; I'm taking down the gramophone till tomorrow, goodnight!"

Horton was confused, if it wasn't the mayor then who was it? "Hello? Who's there? I know it's not the mayor." He said cautiously, who knew who or what was there.  
JoJo stiffened, his dad knew JoJo had the only other gramophone head and would put two and two together. His dad mustn't discover this place!

JoJo took a deep breath and let it out slowly, he rarely talked so he was a little out of practice. "Hello?" he whispered, partly from his voice being unused but mostly because he was uncertain.

Did he hear him? Was he too soft? "Hello!" Horton answered excitedly "Who's there?"

JoJo found himself answering and Horton soon found out he was the mayor's son.

"Hey, you're JoJo! The one who doesn't talk much right? But then you're talking to me. Wow, I'm honored, but then again I guess you've never talked to an elephant before? Wow, I'm rambling; I talk a lot when I'm nervous do you talk a lot when you're nervous? Oh right you hardly ever talk huh?" Horton babbled.

JoJo was, not for the first time in his life, lost for words. He couldn't get a word in edgewise even if he did have something to say.

"How did you contact me anyway? Hey, nice word, contact. Can't get the right words till later usually." Horton said happily, temporarily forgetting about his earlier question.

Horton wasn't to be distracted for long, he asked the question for a second time; JoJo answered softly what had happened. There was something in Horton JoJo couldn't place that made him want to tell all him everything but JoJo was still wary that Horton would tell his father.

After that meeting, JoJo couldn't sleep until the wee hours of the morning because of all the thoughts running through his head. This was the first time he had talked in a long time and it was…nice.

The next day at breakfast, he smiled at his dad. Ned McDodd seemed to be in shock for a second before smiling too, JoJo hopped off his chair and headed to bed, the few hours of sleep beginning to catch up with him; thank goodness it was the summer holidays.

That night, JoJo listened carefully at his dad's and Horton's conversation grinning a little when he heard his dad telling Horton excitedly that JoJo had smiled at him at breakfast.

Horton and Ned had their normal conversation before they said their goodnights and Ned took down the gramophone.

"JoJo? You there?" Horton asked tentatively.

JoJo exhaled "Yes." He said.

After that, things got a little easier and they started talking, at least, Horton chattered while JoJo just said as little as possible.

This continued for several days until Horton knew all about JoJo's insecurities from his father's dream of him being a mayor. About his 'music room' in the observatory, about just casual stuff. Horton however wouldn't tell him why in school a group of blushing squealing girls always followed him around, Horton just chuckled and told him to ask his dad.

It was the day it snowed in summer then a breeze came in and melted the snow, was that peanuts he smelt? He headed towards the big area right below his father's office balcony with his mom. His father was making an announcement that everyone should go to an underground safety area.

Horton! JoJo realized, everyone started to do as Ned said until the council came and tried to calm everyone down with promises of a great festival, suddenly a great wind blew across the town but the council pooh-poohed it and told everyone to bring their kites.

JoJo saw his mother in distress over what she thought was her husband gone insane. It was now or never "Mom, dad is right." He said determinedly looking straight into her eyes.

His mother was in shock then reached out to hug him, he shook his head "No, there are more important things." Sally smiled at her son and Ned came running towards them telling them to go to safety. "I believe you!" She called out and ran to get her children.

There was a sudden jolt and everyone was knocked off their feet, JoJo hit the ground hard, he saw a lot of people unconscious but no one was dead, not yet anyway, he thought grimly.

He went looking for his father who was unhurt but shaken. Ned beamed at his son and for a moment there JoJo was worried that his dad had obtained a concussion. But Ned sat up "They'll believe me now!" he exclaimed.

After everybody was rounded up and checked to see if anyone was hurt, Horton's voice came over the unharmed gramophone head. "Hello? Mayor? Anybody?" Horton asked desperately.

"Um no, this is Bert can I take a message?" Ned asked barely containing his laughter.

After Horton called the council men boobs and promised to take them to safety, people came up to congratulate Ned.

They suddenly heard a lot of sounds from the gramophone, "Rope him! Cage him! Get Horton!" was heard, it was like thunder, everybody was anxiously waiting below.

"What's going on?!" Ned shouted amidst the hullabaloo, the people of Hooville couldn't catch what Norton said. The mayor suddenly called everyone to make some noise "we are here! We are here! WE ARE HERE!" all but one yelled out.

JoJo ran out of the square and headed towards the observatory. He ran past his mother and glimpsed her nodding at him.

In all the screaming and commotion Horton remembered, of course! JoJo's project, surely it would work. "Are you sure everyone is trying?" he asked desperately.  
JoJo! The mayor couldn't see him anywhere in sight. He ran to his wife "Probably in the old observatory" she yelled back.

JoJo hurriedly put the final touches to the machinery and started it up one at a time. He heard his father and winced, would he be disappointed? Mad?

In obvious awe Ned asked "You built this?" JoJo felt extremely happy and went down to his dad. He pulled him up and opened the observatory, the sound waves swept past them and up to the air; they could practically see the power that it was making, it was almost enough to break the clouds.

"Louder! They can't hear you!" Horton shouted.

There was a sudden stop to all sound except from the observatory.

JoJo unexpectedly turned and grabbed the gramophone off from its position. Ned told everyone to continue and followed his son up to the highest point of the city.

"YOP" JoJo yelled and Ned watched amazed as the sound broke through the clouds.

After the festivities in honor of the mayor and Horton for saving them (and a brief song). Everyone but three stayed up.

After Ned and Horton said their final goodbyes with promises to chat every six months or so, Ned left. JoJo crept out of his hiding place and hesitantly went towards the gramophone.

"Thanks Horton, for everything." He whispered and turned to leave.

"Glad I could help, there's your dream, go ahead and live it." Horton answered with a smile in his voice. JoJo nodded and left.

They would meet again of course but as for now  
that was the only goodbye they needed.

~owari~  
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this as much (or more) than I do. Horton hears a Who is one of my favorite shows due to graphics, animation, plot and JoJo!


End file.
